As the first deliverable in its planned suite of IP-ecosystem tools, the Fabless Semiconductor Association (FSA) has released version 3.0 of its Hard Intellectual Property (IP) Quality Risk Assessment Tool. The tool collects information about an IP vendor, its design methodology, and the IP family under evaluation to develop a risk assessment profile across seven criteria: IP design, integration, verification, process technology, product documentation, reliability, and test.
The latest version includes several enhancements that improve ease-ofuse and increase communication for integrators and vendors, as well as foundries. For example, a custom questionnaire permits vendors to add questions pertaining to specific IP. The integrator completes those questions and can weight specific factors. This benefit facilitates vendor communication to integrators about a specific IP family.
There's also an "answer verification" feature, which comprises a filter added to the Hard IP summary page so an answer can be verified. With it, vendors and integrators with long-term relationships can add a yes/no confidence level, reflected in a risk profile.
Further, the FSA has collaborated with Chip Estimate Corp. to enable vendors to upload their "risk profiles" to Chip Estimate's IP portal. In addition, Chip Estimate users may request a vendor's risk profiles or ask a vendor to use the risk-assessment tool to complete a profile for their IP.
The Hard-IP Quality Risk Assessment Tool is now freely available. To download version 3.0 and view an online demonstration, visit the FSA Web site.
Chip Estimate Corp.
Fabless Semiconductor Association
